Homemade Pottery in the grocery store

[Mark C.]

I reached out about a year and half ago to get my work in a natural foods market that was going to open.They gave me an end cap at just the right height.  As I found myself wanting to do less road  art shows and this seemed like a good idea. That market has worked out very well for mug sales and sponge holders. Today I find myself in 3 markets.This display went up yesterday in my home town co-op.My member  is #12 from the 70's so I have some history with these stores.

I'm in both of their stores now . One started two weeks ago. I wanted to try some other forms as well as mugs.I make a weekly drop off to all stores (one store has a courier to their other store)so its only one drop for two stores.These are straight wholesale deals. I sent the final price and they took 35% of that. The thing with all grocery stores is all price points end with 9. No matter if its 10.99 or 24.49 its always a 9. On Thursdays I make my rounds like bread delivery truck only with pots. My distant town store shoot me a photo of the display with a whats needed list so I can have it boxed and invoiced for the courier to take to other towns store.

I have experimented with pricing at my first store and found the sweet spot for steady sales.I have always offered to buy back any work and this has yet to happen but I know it will in the future when some forms will just be to slow. I then will just take them off the next bill of goods I take them the next week. The store cannot loose. This has been a NEW business for me and since I have been in this pottery business since time began its feels nice and fresh . If you can make a quality line of work and keep enough back stock ready at all times and are dependable this can work out very well in terms of steady dollars The one store sold 19 mugs last week so you can see its adds up fast. This is shift from road dogging it 2000 miles to Arizona art show to a steady stream of weekly or every other week drop offs.

I'm driving the pottery van around once a week now and its been good. I thought I had saturated my local markets here but now I really have as i'm inside them now as well as the outside shops.Now lets see how long until i go nuts baking all this bread.

The photo is top shelve right sponge holders and soap dishes

Main Shelve is cereal bowls, 5 sizes of mugs-french butterfishes candle holders and salt cellars-thanks to Min.

 

[Chilly]

On 11/17/2017 at 7:38 AM, Mark C. said:

feral bowls

 

Feral bowls?  Must be a hoot in there at night.

[Mark C.]

fixed it-they are now keeping those animals out of store

[DirtRoads]

You're always doing something .... right.    So important to capture some of those Christmas sales and a lot of potters aren't able to do it.  The 35% margin totally works in a grocery type store.    Is this the margin for all products in that store?  There is a novelty grocery store close to me and they operate on a straight 25% margin.

If you aren't at 100% sell thru, you need to get your products somewhere they can be purchased for Christmas gifts.

Great distribution strategy here.

 

 

 

[Mark C.]

I had a meeting today with my new market folks today(new meaning two co-ops food markets in two towns) that I started selling with in November. We are fine tuning the billing, display and product line for upcoming year.

My existing Natural foods market (which I have been in for about 1 and 1/4 years now ) I spoke with today on adding new product line in a month once I'm back in production .

These local markets have really expanded  my sales to an area I once thought as saturated with my goods.There are many details that need to get worked out but once its dialed its $ in the bank .

The feedback from the public has been good as well as they like the convenience -I hear from them when checking on stock  at all the markets.

 

[Mark C.]

This sales venue has been  going on for over 6 months now is is very good for us both . Its a bit more work than traditional venues as you cannot back stock (store work at store) and there is more paperwork by far (every month billing and every week a drop off sheet with pots)But overall the money is good.

I thought I had saturated my local market until I put my wares into 3 markets and now see that was not the case.

If you have aline of solid work and wholesale works for you then this could work out for you. I found that servicing these accounts take more work than other venues but the income is worth it as long as they markets are close to you. I go almost every week to them now.

[Rae Reich]

On 11/16/2017 at 11:38 PM, Mark C. said:

 5 sizes of mugs-french butterfishes candle holders and salt cellars-

Are the French butterfishes saltwater or fresh?  Mmmmm, deep fried in a panko crust!